DX Chogokin YF-29 (Alto) Durandal Valkyrie - Reissue

[jenius]

I think my article on anymoon is up to date now, hopefully have a video review up this weekend.

Edited November 25, 2020 by jenius

[sqidd]

6 minutes ago, F360 said:

and for those  that ask how much is the shipping

So slight more than AmazonJP?

[no3Ljm]

4 minutes ago, sqidd said:

So slight more than AmazonJP?

I just checked what’s posted in AmazonJP. And it looks like the HLJ one is Y3000 cheaper.

 

[Anasazi37]

26 minutes ago, F360 said:

and for those  that ask how much is the shipping

It's surprisingly reasonable shipping for a box that size and weight. I think it's right around what EMS would normally be. Maybe DHL and FedEx prices are finally coming back down to something reasonable, or maybe HLJ negotiated better deals with the carriers. A few months ago that would have easily been $65.

[F360]

12 minutes ago, Anasazi37 said:

It's surprisingly reasonable shipping for a box that size and weight. I think it's right around what EMS would normally be. Maybe DHL and FedEx prices are finally coming back down to something reasonable, or maybe HLJ negotiated better deals with the carriers. A few months ago that would have easily been $65.

yeah, agree, it's more likely that HLJ was able to negotiate a better discount rate..    That good news for the incoming dx VF-1s Roy. 

 

[technoblue]

4 hours ago, Angesdad said:

Heads up for those who still in the market for one of these;

DX Chogokin YF-29 Durandal Valkyrie (Alto Saotome Use) Full Set Pack by Bandai (hlj.com)

at 23k decent price better than Amazon jp, and we know HLJ is dependable.

Thanks, @Angesdad! I missed the pre-order on this and don't have a YF-29 in my collection anymore so...

[Kanedas Bike]

That HLJ link has been up with a limit of 20 since at least 7 AM EST when I woke up this morning, if it's still up expect a whole slew of cancellation notices going out.

-b.

[technoblue]

14 minutes ago, Kanedas Bike said:

That HLJ link has been up with a limit of 20 since at least 7 AM EST when I woke up this morning, if it's still up expect a whole slew of cancellation notices going out.

-b.

HLJ's site is wonky. Luckily, the order that I placed was confirmed and has already shipped using DHL, so there's that. 

[yami4ct]

Worth noting HLJ is doing discounts on shipping starting tomorrow for black friday. Unclear exactly what the details will be but probably worth holding in your Private Warehouse if you can. I got an order in, paid, confirmed and waiting for shipping now

[Hagerstrom]

On 10/26/2020 at 6:49 AM, Lolicon said:

Flory model washes are also good and very easy to use. Just use a moist paper towel or Q-tip to wipe off the excess.

https://www.florymodels.org/washes

Really impressed with the panel line effect you got on your YF-29.

 

Do you take any extra steps not described in the Flory models post? Is it just as simple as applying the wash, then wiping off the excess once dry?

[Hagerstrom]

On 10/26/2020 at 6:49 AM, Lolicon said:

Flory model washes are also good and very easy to use. Just use a moist paper towel or Q-tip to wipe off the excess.

https://www.florymodels.org/washes

Really impressed with the panel line effect you got on your YF-29.

 

Do you take any extra steps not described in the Flory models post? Is it just as simple as applying the wash, then wiping off the excess once dry?

[Lolicon]

10 hours ago, Hagerstrom said:

Really impressed with the panel line effect you got on your YF-29.

 

Do you take any extra steps not described in the Flory models post? Is it just as simple as applying the wash, then wiping off the excess once dry?

No that's pretty much it. It's really that easy. 

[Hagerstrom]

2 hours ago, Lolicon said:

No that's pretty much it. It's really that easy. 

Okay, thanks. I'll give it a try on my Isamu YF-29.

[leeboo1211]

Since the YF-29 Alto was reissued like this, what are the chances Bandai will reissue some of the VF-25 Renewals with similar matte finish? 

I just started collecting a couple years ago, and missed out on all the Frontier releases. I just really want an Ozma and Alto, particularly Ozma with armored parts. 

 

 

[jenius]

It seems to make a lot of sense they would do that... but the license is stale and they're releasing Macross products at a trickle so the magic 8 ball is hazy. 

[jenius]

Review is finally done!

 

[sqidd]

Just now, jenius said:

Review is finally done!

 

Nice! Motivation for me to un-box mine!

[technoblue]

59 minutes ago, sqidd said:

Nice! Motivation for me to un-box mine!

Same here. Coincidentally, my YF-29 was delivered earlier today. 

[jemC]

6 hours ago, jenius said:

Review is finally done!

 

Just finished your review. 

Didn't have the v1 version. So didn't know that the joints were so bad.

Good job Jenius

 

[Angesdad]

Enjoyed your review, great stuff  thanks @jenius!

[Sandman]

So are every valk of this release have the shoulders issue? Or is it only a few of them?

[leeboo1211]

43 minutes ago, Sandman said:

So are every valk of this release have the shoulders issue? Or is it only a few of them?

Heven't transformed mine to take a look, but it seems to be a fairly common issue in the left shoulder. saw a couple Youtube videos with similar issues.

Edited December 3, 2020 by leeboo1211
typo

[enphily]

https://www.hlj.com/dx-chogokin-yf-29-durandal-valkyrie-alto-saotome-use-full-set-pack-bans60351 back in stock

Edited December 20, 2020 by enphily

[General Rasp]

On 12/20/2020 at 2:48 AM, enphily said:

https://www.hlj.com/dx-chogokin-yf-29-durandal-valkyrie-alto-saotome-use-full-set-pack-bans60351 back in stock

Very tempting...

[twich]

Got one of these for Christmas, man, am I impressed! Love the paint quality, the improvements, the fit and finish even seems more refined. Transformed it to get rid of the factory “looseness” and was just impressed, especially as I just got done transforming my YF-29 30th Anniversary edition. As Jenius noted in his review, the hatches on the fast packs for the missiles are very tight and don’t really open all the way. I wonder if this is a test bed for a new slew of DX YF-29’s and Renewal VF-25’s with the new fixes, due to how similar the parts are between the molds? New VF-25 anyone?

Twich

[enphily]

Crotch locking mechanism on my new YF-29 can't lock tight enough so in straight pose with fast pack it's disconnect and the body falling down.

 

But i like this figure anyway

Edited December 29, 2020 by enphily

[Grey728]

This is my first YF-29 and I have no idea how that crotch part locks. The only way I could make this part secure was to install the battroid stand adaptor which gives it something to latch onto.

[leeboo1211]

5 hours ago, twich said:

Got one of these for Christmas, man, am I impressed! Love the paint quality, the improvements, the fit and finish even seems more refined. Transformed it to get rid of the factory “looseness” and was just impressed, especially as I just got done transforming my YF-29 30th Anniversary edition. As Jenius noted in his review, the hatches on the fast packs for the missiles are very tight and don’t really open all the way. I wonder if this is a test bed for a new slew of DX YF-29’s and Renewal VF-25’s with the new fixes, due to how similar the parts are between the molds? New VF-25 anyone?

Twich

I would be totally on board for matte finish renewal VF-25 Ozma/Alto...with armor packs!

[Slave IV]

10 hours ago, enphily said:

Crotch locking mechanism on my new YF-29 can't lock tight enough so in straight pose with fast pack it's disconnect and the body falling down.

 

But i like this figure anyway

 

10 hours ago, Grey728 said:

This is my first YF-29 and I have no idea how that crotch part locks. The only way I could make this part secure was to install the battroid stand adaptor which gives it something to latch onto.

I'd have to check again on mine but I thought there was an issue until I locked it in for real. The angle is much deeper that I thought it would be and it also allows better range of articulation in the hips when it is locked. Try watching some different transformation vids until you get it right.

[no3Ljm]

10 hours ago, Grey728 said:

This is my first YF-29 and I have no idea how that crotch part locks. The only way I could make this part secure was to install the battroid stand adaptor which gives it something to latch onto.

This is true. It's one of the weak parts of the figure even with the Renewals. The safe way is to use the stand adaptor that came with it or the adaptors from the Armored or Super Parts. Some of the Renewals that I acquire whether it's new or used, have a loose crotch lock connection so I ended up opening it and took a risk of repairing it.

Edit:
I'm adding here @jenius photo from his Anymoon site to point out the Version 2 crotch lock that I was referencing to. The area where you insert the metal swivel joint is the one that I fixed.

 

Edited December 30, 2020 by no3Ljm

[Lolicon]

Crotch needs to be thrust out really far, like "Michael Jackson crotch thrust" far for maximum stability. Just pull that bad boy out as far as you can. 

[no3Ljm]

10 minutes ago, Lolicon said:

Crotch needs to be thrust out really far, like "Michael Jackson crotch thrust" far for maximum stability. Just pull that bad boy out as far as you can. 

Yup. The crotch area should look like the photo below. The "Masami Obari Crotch Thrust".  

Photo from our own @Saburo.

[enphily]

43 minutes ago, no3Ljm said:

Some of the Renewals that I acquire whether it's new or used, have a loose crotch lock connection so I ended up opening it and took a risk of repairing it.

how you repairing it?

[no3Ljm]

21 minutes ago, enphily said:

how you repairing it?

My Alto's Messiah is currently in the box so I can't inspect it right now. But I do remember there's a screw that you can access it behind the moving crotch area. Though I can't remember what's making those grey plastic thing to lock it inside whether thru spring or sliding mechanism since it was years now when I repaired it. But I'm pretty sure there's a screw behind it that you can access it. I'm just guessing here now that if it's spring, then all I did probably is make the spring expand a little bit so that it will have a good tension on making the plastic tighter. Or if it's sliding mechanism, I probably did something on what makes the 'slider' tight.

Again, my apologies since my Alto is in the box somewhere in the closet.

 

[enphily]

8 hours ago, no3Ljm said:

My Alto's Messiah is currently in the box so I can't inspect it right now. But I do remember there's a screw that you can access it behind the moving crotch area. Though I can't remember what's making those grey plastic thing to lock it inside whether thru spring or sliding mechanism since it was years now when I repaired it. But I'm pretty sure there's a screw behind it that you can access it. I'm just guessing here now that if it's spring, then all I did probably is make the spring expand a little bit so that it will have a good tension on making the plastic tighter. Or if it's sliding mechanism, I probably did something on what makes the 'slider' tight.

Again, my apologies since my Alto is in the box somewhere in the closet.

 

thx, maybe i'll see later what i can do there